Business

New Naira Notes: Panic, Confusion As Nigerians Count Down To Deadline

Published

3 years ago

January 28, 2023

Editor

Across the country, Nigerians are living in uncertain times regarding their money, both the cash at hand and the one they have saved in the banks as the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele insists that the January 31st deadline for the usage of old currency notes remains sacrosanct.

“As things stand, the N200 denomination is scarce. We rely a lot on N200 notes, but we don’t have it. I still have lots of N200 in my box,” Dolapo Michael, a trader in Yaba area in Lagos State, told DAILY POST.

Mrs Michael’s predicament is not in isolation as many Nigerians are faced with uncertainty over the latest policy by the CBN. While the apex bank insisted that the policy is targeted at mopping up cash into the banking sector, however, it has become a political issue.

Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s campaign rally in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, alleged that the policy was targeted at him.

The two chambers of the National Assembly also asked the CBN to as a matter of urgency extend the period by 6 months; however, the CBN boss insisted that there shall be no extension.

Even the threat of a warrant of arrest has not swayed the CBN boss as he shunned the invitation of the House on two occasions.

The lawmakers are insisting that section 20 of the CBN Act mandates commercial banks to continue to accept the old notes even after the expiration of the deadline.

“The House is also aware that Section 20 (3) Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act mandates the CBN to redeem the face value of the recalled currency upon demand, even after the expiration of the notice of recall. Notwithstanding the deadline imposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), this House will see to it that this provision of the law is honoured in full,” Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House said on Thursday.

However, banks have insisted that they will comply with the directive of the CBN on the subject matter.

On Friday, First Bank announced that it will no longer accept the old notes by 1st of February, therefore, urging its customers to take advantage of the weekend to deposit their old currency.

“This is to notify the general public that all our branches will be open on Saturday and Sunday just to receive cash.

“All old Naira notes of series 200, 500, and 1000 will cease to be in use from the 31st of January,” he said.

On Thursday, during a meeting between the banks and the committee of the House, bankers acknowledged that the new notes are not sufficient to meet the demand of Nigerians.

The representative of Sterling Bank, Orlando Umoren informed the lawmakers that the CBN rationed the money to different banks, but it was not sufficient to meet their needs.

He stated that Sterling Bank gets N150 million weekly for its branches in Kaduna, while N100m is shared among all its branches in Kano metropolis.

Also, the representative of Access Bank, Hadiza Ambuza said the bank is only able to disburse 10% of the total money it collects from customers.

“We are paying as much as we get. We are collecting the money and loading it at the ATM as quickly as we get it. Unfortunately, we are not getting them quickly. We have gotten about 10 percent of the total money. That is a challenge that we have. We are doing the best we can up until the deadline,” she said.

Despite the low circulation, the banks are following the directive of the CBN on the deadline.

The House of Representatives has insisted it will suspend its planned recess to address the issue and is willing to issue a warrant of arrest on Emefiele and speak with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Hakeem Liadi, a resident of Isanlu, in Kogi State, told DAILY POST that due to activities of armed robbers along the Kabba-Ilorin road, most banks have shut down and they rely on POS.

“In some instances, POS operators now charge as much as N100 on every N1,000 for Nigerians to get new notes,” Leadi said, adding that “We use POS for our transactions, it is like our own bank. With the rush, POS are also struggling to get the new notes. So, when they charge extra, we cannot complain.”

Lekan Olaleye, an economist, who spoke to DAILY POST, said the policy may be conceived with good intentions, however, the implementation may cause a significant impact on the economy.

“The CBN must understand that Nigeria is far from a cashless economy. Perhaps, they are overestimating data from POS terminals. As it stands, POS in Nigeria are for withdrawal of money not payment for goods. This economy still relies heavily on cash.

“By Monday, most commercial drivers may not want to accept the old note in fear of the deadline, but from findings, the new money is not circulating well enough. The CBN should have used the POS agents to speed up the circulation,” he noted.

When Mr Olaleye was asked about the intent of the CBN to curb kidnapping and vote buying by politicians, he said the mischief the bank seeks to curb may create a bigger problem.

“Poison is not the cure for cancer. Can the banks cope with the demand for money on February 1st? Apart from that, a large percentage of daily transactions still involves cash,” he said.
DAILY POST

Business

NNPCL Raises Fuel Price

Published

4 days ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has increased the pump price of petrol from ₦865 to ₦992 per litre, marking a fresh hike that has sparked widespread concern among motorists and consumers .

As of the time of filing this report, the company has not released any official statement explaining the reason for the sudden adjustment.

During visits to several NNPC retail outlets, The Nation observed fuel attendants recalibrating their pumps to reflect the new price.

At NNPC filling station on Ogunusi road, Ojodu Berger, petrol attendants at the station said they were instructed to change the price to reflect the new rate N992 per litre.

However, checks at Ibafo along the Lagos /Ibadan expressway showed that NNPC outlets still displayed the old price of N875 per litre, although they were not selling to commuters.

Most of the NNPC stations were not dispensing fuel.

Business

CBN Directs Banks To Refund Failed ATM Transactions Within 48hrs

Published

5 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions to refund customers for failed Automated Teller Machine transactions within 48 hours, in a sweeping reform aimed at protecting consumers and restoring confidence in the banking system.

The directive is contained in a draft guideline released by the apex bank on Saturday, titled “Exposure of the Draft Guidelines on the Operations of Automated Teller Machines in Nigeria.”

The document, signed by Musa I. Jimoh, Director of Payments System Policy Department, was circulated to banks, payment service providers, card schemes, and independent ATM deployers, with a call for stakeholder feedback by October 31, 2025.

Under the draft, failed “on-us” transactions, where customers use their own bank’s ATM, must be reversed instantly. If technical glitches prevent immediate reversal, the bank is required to manually refund the customer within 24 hours.

For “not-on-us” transactions, involving other banks’ ATMs, refunds must be processed within 48 hours.

“Customers must not be made to suffer for failed transactions caused by system errors or network failures,” the circular stressed.

In a significant shift, the CBN mandated banks and ATM acquirers to deploy technology that automatically reverses failed or partial transactions, removing the need for customers to lodge complaints.

Institutions holding customer funds due to failed disbursements must reconcile and return balances immediately.

According to the apex bank, these measures respond to widespread frustration over delayed refunds and poor customer service and form part of a broader effort to enhance consumer protection, improve reliability, and modernise Nigeria’s payment infrastructure in line with global standards.

The guidelines will also overhaul ATM operations nationwide. Banks and card issuers are now required to deploy at least one ATM for every 5,000 active cards, with phased targets of 30% compliance in 2026, 60% in 2027, and full compliance by 2028. Any future deployment, relocation, or decommissioning of ATMs must receive prior approval from the CBN.

To ensure safety, ATMs must be fitted with anti-skimming devices, CCTV cameras, and placed in enclosed or well-lit areas.

Machines are expected to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, maintain audit logs, and display functional helpdesk contacts. At least 2% of all ATMs must feature tactile symbols for visually impaired customers.

ATMs are also required to dispense cash before returning cards, allow free PIN changes, issue receipts for all transactions except balance inquiries, display clear transaction fees, dispense only clean banknotes, and provide backup power to reduce downtime.

Downtime must not exceed 72 consecutive hours, after which operators must inform the public of the cause and expected restoration time.

The CBN will enforce compliance through regular audits, on-site inspections, and monthly reports from ATM operators detailing deployments and locations. Defaulting institutions risk sanctions, though fines were not specified.

The apex bank explained that the overhaul was necessary due to rising complaints about failed transactions, cyber fraud, and declining service quality, noting that “the goal is to build a payments system that works seamlessly for everyone, urban and rural users alike.”

Nigeria’s electronic payments landscape has grown rapidly in recent years, with 200 million cardholders and rising reliance on digital banking, but network failures, poor infrastructure, and delayed reversals have continued to undermine confidence.

The fresh guidelines, coming eight months after a revision of ATM fees, are expected to streamline service delivery, enhance transaction security, and hold banks accountable. Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback ahead of the final policy adoption, which could take effect before the end of the year.

Business

Nigerian Stock Market Hits 10th Consecutive Uptrend As investors Gain N308bn

Published

7 days ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Stock Market recorded its 10th consecutive uptrend as investors raked in N308 billion gain on Thursday.

This comes as the Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX, market capitalisation, which opened at N92.490 trillion, appreciated by 0.33 per cent to close at N92.798 trillion on Thursday.

Also, the All-Share Index added 0.33 per cent, or 485.25 points, to close at 146,204.34, compared with 145,719.09 recorded on Wednesday.

Increased trading in Eunisell Interlinked, Caverton Offshore Support Group, Sunu Assurances, Industrial and Medical Gases, Mecure, and 27 other advancing stocks boosted market performance on Thursday.

To this end, the market breadth also closed positive with 32 gainers and 21 losers.

Further analysis showed that Eunisell Interlinked and Caverton Offshore Support Group led the gainers’ chart by 10 per cent each, closing at N44 and N6.93 per share, respectively, while FTN Cocoa Processors led the losers’ table by 6.67 per cent, closing at N5.60 per share.

Market activity showed a decline in the number of deals and volume traded but an improvement in trade value.

Accordingly, a total of 346.99 million shares worth N27.43 billion were traded in 24,691 deals, compared with 525.72 million shares worth N13.61 billion exchanged in 25,597 deals on Wednesday.

Fidelity Bank topped the activity chart with 42.01 million shares valued at N861.54 million.

According to DAILY POST, NGX has continued its bullish run from last month’s end to date.